The National tribune., 1887-07-21
BUTLER AT NEW ORLEANS.
Piece of War History BY the Chief Actor In 1t.

Piece OF War History BY the Chief Actor In It.
GSsaHnicn (ra) VindieatOr.l
The correspondence below explains itself
MIR. Lanier Dunn is a respected resident of
Bath County. de married q ward of Gen.
Butler:
WARN sPzHGs. BATH Co. Va,
June 27, 81.
Editor Stasnfon Tindieator: On the morning Of
Apr ., 4asi, saw In your paper an article stating
that 1t Is said that Gen Butler has for years been
able to retain in Office In Washington the widow OF
| Mumtord. whom he had hanged ia New Orleans"
went 10 you stating that knew that Gen.
Butler had done that. Ny story not rs specific
a. you wished. so at your request wrote to Gen.
Respectfully. LAsIER DUNN.
wAsHISGroY, D. C., June 2i, 1897
MY DEAR Nm. DUSE: You ask me TO state the
facts TO you in regard TO the late Mrs. Mumford.
have not made any public statement about the mat
| ter because didn't care TO bring her name into
| prominence, and expose her 90 vulgar curiosity
during her life. Her husband, man of some
prominence among his class, inCiteda mob and tore
down the United States flag from the Mint Of the
United states after the surrender Of the city Of New
orleans The flag was torn into shreds, and por-
tlons OF II were worn Al the buttOnhole as trophy
| by himself aud his associates. The facts being
| made known 10 me, lac was arrested brought be-
| lore military commission Tor trialand that com
mission found him guilty and reported him and his
| action 10 ne, rs Commanding General. After much
Thought upon the subject, deemed IL was for the
best interests Of the peopie OF the United States
| aud especially Of Louisiana. that example
| should be made Of him specially, because his act
| came near bringing bombariment on the city by
tie heet. because tearing down the flag was sig
na that the city had assumed to consider itself
| surrendered and desired to open hostities. /
therefore ordered his execution on the Mint at the
place where he had torn down the Nag, which was
/ done.
Shortly before hIse1ecution Mn. Mumford called
upon me 10 iniercede FOR his life. told her that
| my decision was irrevocabe. She was "A Northern
lady 10y birth. told her further that regretted
the effect oi my action upon herself and family and
thai u IN the hereafter / could do anything to
alleviate her great misfortune, she might elll upon
nae as friend. The best thing she could do for her
husband then was to 70 TO her husband and assure
4 MN llit his sentence irrevocable aud would
give her an order 60 be admitted To his presence, to
stay with him ns long she liked TO the time OF
ms execution, and directed my Orderly to take her
| ia my carriage 10 the place OF his confinement
| This was In the Summer Of o.. Long afteTward II
should say In '6s} received letter from lady
acquaintance Of mine in the North saying that she
knew Mrs. MumfoTd who was in distress, and she
told her had promised to befriend her when
could. and asked me il would allow Mrs. Mum
IoIu 20 see me NJ Washington. L answered that
would be glad to Mrs Mumford if she desired.
A few days after. Mrs. Mumford called on me,
ahdln nanswertomy question how she was gettingO on
sue gave me the following narration: That soon
alter her husbands death "A subscription had been
made in the South for her and her childTen's bene
NJ OF considerable sums OF money, but Rs il was
Confederate money, il had not been much benefit.
lhat considerable portion, or all of II. had been
placed IN the hands Of "a trustee, a clergyman, l
think, who had bought for her land In
Mytheylle, Va. and had built n house thereon,
but which hadn't been quite finished There was
a carpenters lien on her house and u was about
10 be closed upon that carpenters licn and she
would lose IL unless she could get money enough
10 pay the carpenter llold her would look into
the matter. aud il she would call "A couple of days
aherWard. would tell her what could do for her.
ltelegrsphed TO "A gentleman in Virginia, who had
eharge OF some property OF mine, and asked him
20 go and investigate Mrs. MumfOrd's matters at
Nytheyille and to pay whatever was necessary to
save her house. lie went aud Immediately tele-
gTaphed me how matters stood, and that the car
ngs isa ~ he
adjusted and charged 20 my account. Mrs. Num-
lord called and told her what had been done and
she was very grateful.
then said 10 her. How are you 20 liver" She
said all she had TO live upon what she and her
children could earn or raise from the land, of
whlch there wasa very few acres. But" i said.
howare your children TO be educated then?" She
said she didn't know. Well" said, you never
can get on In that way. will see II anything else
can be done for you and II you will cali on me in
two or three days, will SEQ what can he done"
further said, Madam, you have been very profuse |
IN your thanks to me; will you do me the favor to
put what you say 10 me in writing in the form of
a little note. am going out now, and you can |
write It here at my table and leave 1t for me, and
as you say you are stopping at Alexandria with a |
friend, II you Will call Tomorrow next day will
tell you whether can do anything more for you" |
On my return found her note. very well written |
and well composed, showing that she was a |
lady Of education. What j wanted Of the |
note was that 10 should be sort Of civil |
service examination TO ascertain If i could recon-
mend her for clerk. was satisfied and went to |
my friend, Mr. Commissioner Douglass Of the In |
have cierkship for Lady, If possible. He told |
me that IL was hardly possible he thought but he
would see II there was vacancy. told him |
the story. said, u don't want to give any recon-
mendation to be put on file. because IL would call |
attention TO the ladys name aud might be unpleas
ant TO her,. Like a true gentleman he said, Very |
well send the lady IN WITH your card and I'll see
that she has work In my bureau" The next day |
Mrs. Mumford called / gave her my card and |
told her where TO 20 and present it, and she got a
clerkship. which she filed very crediably until |
the coming in of Hayess Administri.tion
Upon thai event, as was usual suppose. the lists
Of clerks were looked over To find places for the /
friends OF the new Administration, and as Mrs /
Mumford appeared on the list without any infiuen-
tial man behind her she was Of course, discharged
Meanwhile, she told me. las / saw her perhaps |
once year, she had disposed of her property ia |
Wytheville, brougla her children 10 Washington,
and sent them 10 school and supported them by i
her earnings. learned Of the fact OF her discharge
from her, and she was in great soTrow. Where /
upon went TO the Treasury Department and asked /
the appointing officer TO restore her. met with "A
decided rebuff. | no more popular with
Hayes Administration than 1t was with the peo-
pie went TO the Secretary of the Interior, with /
no better success. then went to Postmaster
General Key, Confederate Brigadier" and / |
laid down on him. told him the whole story and /
said that she was Of his friends. He appointed
her TO place In his Department, which she filed /
very acceptably, believe, through that Admins
tTaiion aud afterward. At least she never com
planned 10 me of any trouble aud have known
nothing Of her Affairs since until heard of her
death.
saw in the Southern newspapers not unfre-
insiruciing them in vendetta against me- In
deed, 1t went 20 far that when was at the Chicago
Convention in ~. ii published in Chicago that
there was IA son of Mumfords route from some
Western Territory To kill me in revenge for his
fathers death. and was advised by my friends to
take great care To lot no strange man get near me-
told them II lived until some one Of Mrs Nam
ford's children killed me should reach ripe old
age, and laughed at that tOOlishHess as have oc-
casion 10 laugh AT much other newspaper nom
sense.
may be permitted TO say further that there Is
great change Of feeling apparently come over the
Southern people ~ regard To my being Justified ia
tie execution Of MumfoTd for hauling down the
American dag. because saw letter Of Gov Fitz-
hugh Lee, wien speaking OF the return Of the Con
lederate ilags proposed by the President ia which
lac winds up by saying: II any man hauls down
the American fiag let him be shot on the SPOT
hope 1 have fully answered your inquiry. I
am. my dear Mr.. Dunn,
Very truly, yours BESJ. f. BUrLKR
LANIER Dunn, E-q.,
Warm Springs. Bath Co, Va.
See Comrade TaylOr's adv. on page s.